Nursing mothers who express their breast milk for later use often find themselves inconvenienced by the need to support a breast milk collection device with their hands while it operates. (As used herein, the term “breast milk collection device” refers to any apparatus suitable for collecting expressed breast milk, e.g., an assembly that includes a suction cup, receiving tube, Venturi channel, and milk bottle.) Attempting to “double pump” typically requires both hands, one for a collection device at each breast, which leaves a nursing mother with little way to accomplish any other tasks or even read during the lengthy process.
Various “hands free” breast pumping arrangements have been developed, but they are far from being ideal solutions to the problem. For example, the system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,247,996 to Fields requires the user to wear a special bra that serves as a support harness for the collection devices. For a manufacturer of breast pumping devices to provide such a specially designed undergarment raises challenges, especially since women wear bras of many different styles and sizes. Typically, women purchase bras in a retail store environment where they can ensure a correct fit and select the style that appeals to them, often with the assistance of trained sales personnel. They may not be eager to purchase such a personal item of clothing from an equipment manufacturer, especially without having the opportunity to try it on beforehand.
Accordingly, nursing mothers still need a convenient, effective, hands-free way to support one or two breast milk collection devices while expressing milk, without resorting to any garment or undergarment other than what they would ordinarily wear.